Free agency

[LeBowen]

I believe only Barnes, Olynyk, Biyombo & Mclaughlin will be free agents next year. Its possible that the spurs hang on to Barnes, the rest will be gone. With increasing salaries, that doesn't leave a lot of money for free agents, at least not semi expensive ones. Maybe someone in the MLE or below range plus some minimum deals. Hopefully we can find a diamond in the rough or some of our draft capital to improve the team.

Without those expiring contracts we're at $152M for the next season.
Cap is projected to be at $166M, luxury tax at $201M.

I'd say that we don't really need much if everyone keeps developing.
Give Barnes a cheaper extension, decline Champ's option and give him a new deal to save us money later, draft another big with the pick we'll have and get a Olynyk/Sochan replacement bench PF with the MLE.
And offer DJG a Champ-like contract. A couple of veteran minimum deals to complete the roster.

 

[Kick-Stand]

It’s a different day. Picking up that option could cost them a pick push to the end of the first round down the road. They’re also going to need space to roster their new draft picks.

It's only $18 million. The season after next is when they're going to have a hard time keeping Dort when he gets 4 year, $130 million offers. Hartenstein and Cason Wallace will be due paydays too and I think OKC can probably only afford one of the three summer after next. Luckily for the Spurs they don't have to worry about the aprons until the end of this CBA where I expect they'll be ripped up in the new CBA.

 

[RC_Drunkford]

Without those expiring contracts we're at $152M for the next season.
Cap is projected to be at $166M, luxury tax at $201M.

I'd say that we don't really need much if everyone keeps developing.
Give Barnes a cheaper extension, decline Champ's option and give him a new deal to save us money later, draft another big with the pick we'll have and get a Olynyk/Sochan replacement bench PF with the MLE.
And offer DJG a Champ-like contract. A couple of veteran minimum deals to complete the roster.

This is why they should trade Sochan + Olynyk at the deadline. That way you can get a capable player and still have the MLE in the offseason to add more.

Now is there a starting caliber 3-and-D forward to trade for available until then? I don‘t know, but I think that would be the ideal scenario

 

[scott]

Can't see OKC not picking up their $18 million option on Dort. Even in this era of the aprons I think his market value will be significantly above that, probably on par with Vassell's contract.

agree... slim chance Dort hits FA. At a very minimum, OKC would opt in and trade him to replenish the war chest. But wouldn't shock me to see him finish his career in OKC - even if it meant taking a discount at some point.

 

[Splits]

It's only $18 million. The season after next is when they're going to have a hard time keeping Dort when he gets 4 year, $130 million offers. Hartenstein and Cason Wallace will be due paydays too and I think OKC can probably only afford one of the three summer after next. Luckily for the Spurs they don't have to worry about the aprons until the end of this CBA where I expect they'll be ripped up in the new CBA.

I don't see how they can exercise the team option on Hartenstein ($28.5m) for next season and stay under the 2nd apron, because Chet and Jalen Williams maxes kick in. They're $39m over the 2nd apron and a $300m (!!) luxury tax hit if they accept his, Dort, and Kenrich Williams team options and draft 3 firsts next offseason (see CapSheets). Their problems don't start in '27, they start in '26.

 

[Splits]

The leverage is to force the Rockets to give him as much money as possible.

Rockets extended a bunch of dudes this off-season and apparently offered Eason $100m which he declined, so they opted to let him become an RFA.

 

[scott]

It's only $18 million. The season after next is when they're going to have a hard time keeping Dort when he gets 4 year, $130 million offers. Hartenstein and Cason Wallace will be due paydays too and I think OKC can probably only afford one of the three summer after next. Luckily for the Spurs they don't have to worry about the aprons until the end of this CBA where I expect they'll be ripped up in the new CBA.

I'm willing to bet that Sorber replaces iHart and they trade Wallace to add more picks (Topic was likely intended to be their Queso replacement). The model for Presti is easy to understand: Big 3 surrounded with a couple of vets and then you just constantly develop draft picks into rotation players and flip them before their bill comes due.

 

[Kick-Stand]

I don't see how they can exercise the team option on Hartenstein ($28.5m) for next season and stay under the 2nd apron, because Chet and Jalen Williams maxes kick in. They're $39m over the 2nd apron and a $300m (!!) luxury tax hit if they accept his, Dort, and Kenrich Williams team options and draft 3 firsts next offseason (see CapSheets). Their problems don't start in '27, they start in '26.

Gotta think they aggregate assets on those firsts or punt a couple of them down the road. You're right though, does look pretty hard for them to keep Hartenstein past this year. They don't lose picks for being over the second apron for one year though.

 

[Splits]

Gotta think they aggregate assets on those firsts or punt a couple of them down the road. You're right though, does look pretty hard for them to keep Hartenstein past this year. They don't lose picks for being over the second apron for one year though.

My guess is they decline Hartenstein and Williams, keep Dort, and punt 1-2 firsts to get under the 2nd apron. I just can't imagine they would enter 2nd apron next year when '27 gets even worse with Shai's max kicking in

 

[spurraider21]

I believe only Barnes, Olynyk, Biyombo & Mclaughlin will be free agents next year. Its possible that the spurs hang on to Barnes, the rest will be gone. With increasing salaries, that doesn't leave a lot of money for free agents, at least not semi expensive ones. Maybe someone in the MLE or below range plus some minimum deals. Hopefully we can find a diamond in the rough or some of our draft capital to improve the team.

Waters as well

 

[scott]

Waters as well

More Sochan erasure. Won't stand for it (in this context, anyway).

He'll also be a FA.

 

[RC_Drunkford]

I'm willing to bet that Sorber replaces iHart and they trade Wallace to add more picks (Topic was likely intended to be their Queso replacement). The model for Presti is easy to understand: Big 3 surrounded with a couple of vets and then you just constantly develop draft picks into rotation players and flip them before their bill comes due.

If they do that they will be weaker than this year. If we make the right additions and our young guys get better, we can close the gap

 

[LeBowen]

If they do that they will be weaker than this year. If we make the right additions and our young guys get better, we can close the gap

You think Williams and Chet have reached their ceiling?
Williams making a huge leap was the difference between them failing in the second round and winning it all. Now he'll play without any pressure since he got both the ring and the bag, he can only get better.
Chet is finally healthy and a lot more efficent than he was last season.

We can obviously close the gap, but I don't think OKC is done with internal development.

 

[scott]

If they do that they will be weaker than this year. If we make the right additions and our young guys get better, we can close the gap

They have a pretty solid chance of setting the all-time single season wins record this year... so I'm kind of counting on (and hoping for) them being weaker next year.

They're obviously not going to be able to stay at their peak forever. They're likely going to be a 55+ win team for a long time... sometimes that will be 55 wins, other times (like this year) it might be more like 70-75 wins.

During our run from when DROB was drafted to when Kawhi got Zaza'd, and if we exclude the year DRob got hurt and we "Tanked for Timmy", (27 seasons) we averaged a .701 win %, coming out to 57.5 wins. Our lowest was .573 (47 wins) in 1991-92. During Timmy's era, our lowest was .610 (50 wins, 2009-10). The peak was Timmy's last year crazy enough (67 wins).

I expect the OKC "dynasty" to have some similar ups and downs, not be as long (Shai is already 27... so maybe 6-10 more years?!? Then the question becomes whether OKC can find a successor to prolong JDub and Chet's window...).

I definitely think we will be having a say in all of this and OKC won't simply be handed the trophy over the next decade.

DEN and OKC will be biggest short-term competitors. If Tatum and Hali come back at 100% I think they can definitely have something to say as well. We're definitely best positioned as prolonged challengers over the full duration of the next decade overlapping with the (probably unlikely) scenario Shai is a Durant-like Iron Man.

And I think next year the goal should be to a top 4 team and the year after that it should be us and OKC as the clear cut title contenders. The Lakers will find a way to have a say in that... but that's how I envision it (assuming Wemby stays healthy of course). Hopefully Brian Wright has similar expectations.

Right now we're ahead of schedule, IMO, which is awesome.

 

[mo7888]

Shams has an article this morning touching on Atlanta's interest in Anthony Davis. In that scenario Porzingis is probably the guy being moved and I doubt he wants to go back to Dallas. If he's bought out i would expect he's a target to go ahead and see what he'd look like here with Wemby and Luke.

 

[Shmurs]

L

They have a pretty solid chance of setting the all-time single season wins record this year... so I'm kind of counting on (and hoping for) them being weaker next year.

They're obviously not going to be able to stay at their peak forever. They're likely going to be a 55+ win team for a long time... sometimes that will be 55 wins, other times (like this year) it might be more like 70-75 wins.

During our run from when DROB was drafted to when Kawhi got Zaza'd, and if we exclude the year DRob got hurt and we "Tanked for Timmy", (27 seasons) we averaged a .701 win %, coming out to 57.5 wins. Our lowest was .573 (47 wins) in 1991-92. During Timmy's era, our lowest was .610 (50 wins, 2009-10). The peak was Timmy's last year crazy enough (67 wins).

I expect the OKC "dynasty" to have some similar ups and downs, not be as long (Shai is already 27... so maybe 6-10 more years?!? Then the question becomes whether OKC can find a successor to prolong JDub and Chet's window...).

I definitely think we will be having a say in all of this and OKC won't simply be handed the trophy over the next decade.

DEN and OKC will be biggest short-term competitors. If Tatum and Hali come back at 100% I think they can definitely have something to say as well. We're definitely best positioned as prolonged challengers over the full duration of the next decade overlapping with the (probably unlikely) scenario Shai is a Durant-like Iron Man.

And I think next year the goal should be to a top 4 team and the year after that it should be us and OKC as the clear cut title contenders. The Lakers will find a way to have a say in that... but that's how I envision it (assuming Wemby stays healthy of course). Hopefully Brian Wright has similar expectations.

Right now we're ahead of schedule, IMO, which is awesome.

okc’s dynasty closes when the NBA decides the way they work officials needs to stop.

Shia’s stuff is annoying but it’s not why they’re winning. But the physical play from their guards, where they dare the refs to blow the whistle on every possession and know that they will therefore never blow the whistle…this needs to end. It’s not healthy for the league. This full court press shit everyone is doing is going to tear ligaments. And you’re left feeling gross when you see the asymmetry it often creates in how teams are called.

OKC will at least be easy to hate. Makes it a little more fun. But when Dort low bridges Fox in the 2nd round and makes it look accidental, that’s not a super fun way to kill our season

…and obviously they’re also very talented. But not 70 wins talented. This is about figuring out holes in the system and having a team full of autistic psychos.

 

[scott]

L

okc’s dynasty closes when the NBA decides the way they work officials needs to stop.

Shia’s stuff is annoying but it’s not why they’re winning. But the physical play from their guards, where they dare the refs to blow the whistle on every possession and know that they will therefore never blow the whistle…this needs to end. It’s not healthy for the league. This full court press shit everyone is doing is going to tear ligaments. And you’re left feeling gross when you see the asymmetry it often creates in how teams are called.

OKC will at least be easy to hate. Makes it a little more fun. But when Dort low bridges Fox in the 2nd round and makes it look accidental, that’s not a super fun way to kill our season

Great point. Caruso is one of those guys who knows how to take every single rule to the absolute limit, and the rest of that team follows suit.

I agree its gross to watch, and I do hope the league will address it. I don't think that will turn OKC into a 48 win team, but it will close the gap.

 

[RC_Drunkford]

You think Williams and Chet have reached their ceiling?
Williams making a huge leap was the difference between them failing in the second round and winning it all. Now he'll play without any pressure since he got both the ring and the bag, he can only get better.
Chet is finally healthy and a lot more efficent than he was last season.

We can obviously close the gap, but I don't think OKC is done with internal development.

our players will improve too, so if they lose role players and we add better ones: we are closing the gap

 

[RC_Drunkford]

L

okc’s dynasty closes when the NBA decides the way they work officials needs to stop.

Shia’s stuff is annoying but it’s not why they’re winning. But the physical play from their guards, where they dare the refs to blow the whistle on every possession and know that they will therefore never blow the whistle…this needs to end. It’s not healthy for the league. This full court press shit everyone is doing is going to tear ligaments. And you’re left feeling gross when you see the asymmetry it often creates in how teams are called.

OKC will at least be easy to hate. Makes it a little more fun. But when Dort low bridges Fox in the 2nd round and makes it look accidental, that’s not a super fun way to kill our season

…and obviously they’re also very talented. But not 70 wins talented. This is about figuring out holes in the system and having a team full of autistic psychos.

they are middle of the pack in fouls this season. It's a copycat league, every team defends with more physicality now, including us. That's why Steph and Devin pick up a lot more fouls.

 

[RC_Drunkford]

They have a pretty solid chance of setting the all-time single season wins record this year... so I'm kind of counting on (and hoping for) them being weaker next year.

They're obviously not going to be able to stay at their peak forever. They're likely going to be a 55+ win team for a long time... sometimes that will be 55 wins, other times (like this year) it might be more like 70-75 wins.

During our run from when DROB was drafted to when Kawhi got Zaza'd, and if we exclude the year DRob got hurt and we "Tanked for Timmy", (27 seasons) we averaged a .701 win %, coming out to 57.5 wins. Our lowest was .573 (47 wins) in 1991-92. During Timmy's era, our lowest was .610 (50 wins, 2009-10). The peak was Timmy's last year crazy enough (67 wins).

I expect the OKC "dynasty" to have some similar ups and downs, not be as long (Shai is already 27... so maybe 6-10 more years?!? Then the question becomes whether OKC can find a successor to prolong JDub and Chet's window...).

I definitely think we will be having a say in all of this and OKC won't simply be handed the trophy over the next decade.

DEN and OKC will be biggest short-term competitors. If Tatum and Hali come back at 100% I think they can definitely have something to say as well. We're definitely best positioned as prolonged challengers over the full duration of the next decade overlapping with the (probably unlikely) scenario Shai is a Durant-like Iron Man.

And I think next year the goal should be to a top 4 team and the year after that it should be us and OKC as the clear cut title contenders. The Lakers will find a way to have a say in that... but that's how I envision it (assuming Wemby stays healthy of course). Hopefully Brian Wright has similar expectations.

Right now we're ahead of schedule, IMO, which is awesome.

yeah the key thing here is that we got Wemby and Wemby will be better than SGA. Having the best player on the floor can make the difference more often than not when it comes to teams being close in talent level.

 

[Bruno]

An intriguing player to keep an eye on is German forward Isaac Bonga.

Fit wise, he would be just perfect for Spurs as a defensive role player. He was great at that task with Germany NT last summer winning the best defender award at the Eurobasket. Offensively, he has a good enough outside shoot and drive to the basket not to be ignored by opponents.

 

[Ice009]

I was mentioning the other day that I would love to have a German player on the team.

 

[RC_Drunkford]

An intriguing player to keep an eye on is German forward Isaac Bonga.

Fit wise, he would be just perfect for Spurs as a defensive role player. He was great at that task with Germany NT last summer winning the best defender award at the Eurobasket. Offensively, he has a good enough outside shoot and drive to the basket not to be ignored by opponents.

I actually know some of his relatives. He showed out at the Euros, but Dennis Schröder looked like a stud in that tournament and is a journeyman in the NBA. I doubt Bonga is more than a 3rd stringer.

 

[DTW]

that's why he doesn't hold much value in the league. Would instantly fix our 3rd string C problem too. He can play with Wemby and Luke as well. It's just a matter of can you get him for that money and would he like to play here.

Porzingis most likely still commands significantly more than the MLE, but he'd probably be available if traded to the Mavericks as part of a package for Davis.

Maybe Lively being out for the season would mean otherwise, but unless their plan would be to trade Gafford in the off season, I doubt they'd want to extend Porzingis and have two durability question marks at C.

Problems abound though. If their goal is to slash payroll, then they'd want expiring's with a pick(s) from the Spurs, which means Barnes and Olynyk. Even if they'd do Kornet instead, hard to see the Spurs doing any of trading Barnes or Kornet, committing significant payroll to a third C or converting Wembanyama to primarily PF.

 

[scott]

Managing to land Tingus on the buyout market would be a late Christmas gift for us going into the playoffs